Danny Kent
Daniel Alexander "Danny" Kent is an American singer, songwriter, and model. Born and raised outside of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Kent moved to Los Angeles to pursue a singing career. After arriving in Los Angeles, Kent began working with producers and became a respected songwriter, cowriting several hit songs for various musicians such as Olivia Johnsen, Ireland Shaw, and Alec Kennedy. He later was signed to a solo recording contract by RCA Records and Sony Music Entertainment. His debut solo single, "Distraction", became a top forty hit in the United States, while it reached the top twenty in a number of international countries. His debut studio album, The Other Side, was released that fall. He later released the single, "Damage", which became a top twenty hit globally. His second studio album, Take Two, was released that December. Kent's musical style has been described as pop, with elements of R&B. He is heavily influenced by the music of the 1950s and 1960s, and that influence can frequently be seen within his work. Life and career Early life Kent was born in Malvern, Pennsylvania, an affluent suburb of Philadelphia, to parents Fred and Rosemary Kent (née Sugg). He is of English, Irish, and Scottish descent, and was raised Catholic. His father is the CFO of a Philadelphia-based technology company, while his mother is a wedding planner who owns her own business, Weddings by Rosemary. He has an older sister, Raquel. Kent attended a public elementary school, where he was first introduced to music, singing in his school chorus group. He then went on to attend the Catholic all-boys private school Malvern Preparatory School. At Malvern Prep, Kent was an accomplished athlete, playing varsity ice hockey and lacrosse. After graduating from high school, he began studying business at the University of Pennsylvania, where he played ice hockey, but dropped out to pursue a career in music. Early career and The Other Side After dropping out from college, Kent moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in music. Living with friends from college who also left to pursue music, Kent began working primarily as a songwriter, and was eventually signed to a songwriting contract by Sony Music Entertainment. After writing several hit songs for artists such as Olivia Johnsen, Ireland Shaw, and Alec Kennedy, Kent was signed by RCA Records and Sony Music as a solo artist. Kent's debut single, "Distraction", was later released the following spring. The song became a top forty hit in the United States, while also reaching the top twenty in a number of international countries. His debut studio album, The Other Side, was released that fall, and reached the top ten in the United States. He was also nominated for a Grammy Award for Best New Artist. Kent also supported Ireland Shaw on the European leg of her Kaleidoscopic Fantasy World Tour from December to March. ''Take Two'' Kent revealed in an interview that he had begun working on new music in June. He confirmed that the music was more heavily inspired by music of the 1950s and 1960s, and that doo-wop had a prominent influence on it. Kent went on to release his second album's lead single, "Damaged", that summer. The song became a top twenty hit globally, reaching the top ten in the United States and becoming his best-performing single of all-time. It was also certified platinum in a number of countries. His second studio album, Take Two, was released in December. Personal life Kent resides in West Hollywood, California. While speaking of his religion, he has stated that he was raised Catholic and attended Catholic school, but no longer considers himself to be a religious person. He was in a relationship with American actress Ari Smith for two years. He later began dating Ukrainian model Anya Tkachenko. Discography *''The Other Side'' *''Take Two'' Categories Category:American male models Category:American male pop singers Category:American people of English descent Category:American people of Irish descent Category:American people of Scottish descent Category:American R&B singers Category:American Roman Catholics Category:American songwriters Category:Living people Category:People from Malvern, Pennsylvania Category:RCA Records artists Category:Sony Music Entertainment artists